Jason
Grant runs his own IT business from home, owns his own home, and has the best
friend he could imagine. What he doesn’t have, or believe he will ever have, is
love. When Jason catches a glimpse of his new neighbor on moving day, his
libido ignites and his fascination in piqued. He even manages to concoct an
excuse to go over and meet the man who makes him hope and want for more than he
has in years.

Keith
Skyler is a shifter in a world where his kind is known to only a few, but they
don’t often mix and they never mate. Keith has been hoping for a mate since
before he can remember, but gay lynx don’t have true mates. As far as he knows,
they don’t have mates at all. However, while moving his little family across
Seattle—and away from their tribe—his reality tips and spins more than he
thought possible.

When
these two men meet over a dish of five-cheese broccoli-noodle casserole, sparks
fly. Who knew a welcome to the neighborhood gift could give both of them their
chance at love?

Excerpt:

“It’s wonderful you
thought to schedule a slumber party for Taylor—” He just hoped she didn’t kill
him for his comment. “—maybe I should call one of the guys and crash over at
their place for the night?” Or three.

The sputtering on the
other end of the line made Keith smile. His father hated when he didn’t do as
he was told, but being in his father’s home as Adam threw women at him was not
his idea of fun. “You will be here as soon as you arrive back home. You will
present yourself with a smile on, clean, neat, and as close to happy as you can
manage. You only have a few years before you take over as alpha, yet you still
haven’t settled down. Don’t have an heir. Aren’t even seeing anyone.” Well, the
man was wrong on the last two. He had an heir, through his sister: Zeke. And he
was dating; Jason had agreed to start seeing him. They planned to spend the
whole weekend together, in fact.

“Father—”

“Now,” his father
demanded.

“I’m always charming and
polite when you do this to me, but throwing big-boobed airheads at me is not
the way to endear me to your wishes. I have no interest in mating until I find
the other half of my soul. You know that.” And
it will be a male that completes me, but we won’t mention that part yet….

“Such a childish attitude,
Keith. Most shifters do not have fated mates, as you know, so waiting for
someone who most likely doesn’t exist is asinine. Besides, as the heir, you are
responsible for having children. You must have an heir! The Skyler line will
not die out because you want to be too picky.”

“I will attend. I will
talk to the women you picked out. However, I will not take any but my mate home
with me. See you shortly, Father.”

Not waiting for a
response, he clicked off the call and tossed his cell onto the seat beside him.
Keith had to pull over a few minutes later when he realized he was shaking. He
didn’t want the police to notice his weaving or distraction, nor did he enjoy
the idea of wrecking his car. He loved his Shelby GT. He’d restored it from the
junkyard he’d found it in back in high school. If it were up to him, it would
be the only car he would ever drive. Eh, that or Taylor’s truck. His father’s
heavy-handed manipulations were driving him crazy. He’d hated when his alpha
tried to fix him up, but now that he’d found Jason, the idea made him ill to
even consider.

It took him a little
while, but he got himself under control—not that his cat was helping. No, he
wanted to go back to Jason and claim his mate properly. He didn't see why they had to wait. Once he was calmer, Keith
entered the roadway again, and too soon for his liking, he pulled up in front
of his father’s house. Before he’d so much as gotten the car door open, Taylor
was there, waiting with her open arms and loving personality ready to wrap
around him.

“I didn’t know about the
fems ambush until just a little bit ago. I’m so sorry, Keith,” she whispered as
she hugged him. “This batch has a few that aren’t the vapid, big-boobed wonders
he usually finds you, at least.”

He knew she was trying to
make him feel better, but the thought of any female, especially now, made his
skin crawl and his cat want out. “Vapid or not, they aren’t my mate, Tay. It
feels disloyal to even go in and pretend.”

“I get that, but unless
you want to explain who your mate is
tonight, which I don’t advise, then playing nice is the right choice. It’s not
like you have to make out with them or anything. Just chat, be dull and boring,
and escape as soon as possible.”

“I wish it were that easy.
But I’ll be good, no matter how much I don’t want to.”

“I know, but you won’t
have to put up with this very long tonight, and the gathering is tomorrow
night, then you can escape. I can’t leave ’til this weekend,” she added, her
bottom lip puffed out far enough to make many five-year-olds green with
envy—especially hers.

“You’re going to love
living there, Taylor. The trees are great, and I’ve already found areas that
are flush with hares to hunt. I can’t wait to show you and Zeke.”

“Can’t wait to get there
too,” she squealed. “But for now, go play nice prince and smile for the grumpy
old cat in there.”

“Yeah, that makes me want
to go right in. Oh yeah, no it doesn’t. But if we stay out here much longer, he’ll come out looking for me.”
Swallowing hard and pasting on a smile, Keith followed Taylor into the house.
The cloying scents of many perfumes attacked his nose before he’d gotten any
farther than the entrance.

“How can you breathe in
here?” he grumbled but made his way farther into the house to meet with his
father’s newest batch of ever-hopefuls. Reminding himself that he’d get to
spend the entire weekend with Jason helped him make it into the living room and
beyond.

Tempeste
O’Riley is an out and proud pansexual genderfluid whose best friend growing up
had the courage to do what she couldn’t–defy the hate and come out. He has been
her hero ever since.

Tempe is a hopeless romantic that loves strong
relationships and happily-ever-afters. Though new to writing M/M, she has done
many things in her life, though writing has always drawn her back–no matter
what else life has thrown her way. She counts her friends, family, and Muse as
her greatest blessings in life. She lives in Wisconsin with her children,
reading, writing, and enjoying life.